Constantly in the back of my mind I am wondering about the person sitting next to me. Who will it be today? The obnoxious and somewhat stuck on themselves business person, who for some reason thinks I am interested in their latest stock trade, or what kind of car they drive? Or the chatty perky person who wants to just talk happy mindless stuff for the next who knows how many hours? Or heaven forbid, will it be the dark and brooding teenager who thinks the world owes them something and if there is nothing to be angry about on the flight....they will find something! Or perhaps this time it's the drowsy girl who thinks I make a pretty good pillow and decides to sleep on my arm for most of the flight, only waking occasionally to whip her ponytail in my face? All of these unique experiences happen to me in reprise, and I don't see them heading differently in any near future.
Today my excursion saw a confluence of several things coming together at once to make a Journey I would not soon forget.
Recently, a person who deliverers me wise and timely insight at moments I need it most, crossed my path again. She reminded me of the importance of taking time out of each day to stop and appreciate the landscape and vista's of life's Journey. My weakness is that I am ever racing to the next hurdle, planning the next event down the road, but never enjoying where I stand. Today that wise insight, and my personal journey, crossed paths, at 35,000 feet.
As is typical, I load the plane early and get situated with my electronic gadgets and other items to keep me busy. People file by and load, without me really noticing. When they announced the boarding process was complete, and I had an empty seat next to me, I was doing my mental celebration of the extra room I would have. It was not a celebration that would last long. Within a minute or two, a girl looking to be 19 walks up and informs me she has the seat next to me.......ugg. I'm looking up into the face of what is actually a beautiful girl of African American descent. Large gold earrings dangle to her shoulder, a strange tattoo peaks out from under her long sleeve shirt, and cole black eyes that don't distinguish between iris and pupil. Then it hits me, she has the look in her face like she is someone who wants to chat. She introduces herself to me, and I give a quick hello and then pull the stunt that usually halts any and all conversations....I put in my ear phones.
Now don't get me wrong, I've met and spoken to hundreds of people on planes. I've sat next to Presidential Candidates, Music Stars, Movie Stars, Sports Stars, you name it. I'm not a complete jerk on a plane, but most times I just want to work and be in my own world. Today would certainly be different from so many of those other passages I have taken.
With earphones firmly in place, and not much work to do today for some reason, I just kind of lazily gazed out the window on a scene I have viewed many times before....both from the air looking down, and from the ground looking up. As the Utah landscape floated by my window, I noticed something familiar. It was the bright orange pinnacle spires that make up Bryce Canyon. I remembered driving past that very spot so many times over the last decade. As I lifted my gaze a little further east and south, I came across Lake Powell with it's stark contrast between blue water and red sandstone. Just beyond Lake Powell was Arches and Canyonlands with the Lasalle Mountains rising prominently in the background. Ahead and right beneath me, was Zions Canyon with Angel's landing easy to pick out. Up over what seemed like a small hill from my perspective, but is actually quite a climb in a car, was the Coral Pink Sand Dunes and the red cliffs of Kanab. My travel channel mind now in full throttle mode, I gazed my eyes forward to see what other creations of nature might be within my sight. Sure enough, where Lake Powell empties into the lower Colorado, rose the Vermillian Cliffs. The first and reddest step in the Grand Staircase of the Escalante. How many times did we drive down the edge of those towering formations and look up into them wondering about the forces at work creating them, while pondering their solid and deep red strength. As I followed the craggy Colorado river, the steep chasm it carved turned into the majestic Grand Canyon. It is beyond comprehension how what appears to be a small river, churned and carved it's way through these mountains, leaving behind what so many photographers and painters have spent lifetimes capturing on canvass and film.
In the middle of my lost gaze over all of this, I was struck by the fact that what takes hours and hours to drive through, months and months to walk through, I could look at and take in with simply a slight turn of the head. For me, it was as if a view I had always had, and was in front of me so often, was being seen by me for the first time, and in a perspective I had never considered.
The metaphor was not lost on just the landscape that floated outside the window.
I had been lost in my thoughts and eyes fixed outside the window for quite some time when I finally sat back in my seat and wondered how many things I might have missed in life by failing to see and understand what was often in front of me. Soon consciousness returned and I realized the girl who was sitting next to me, was now staring at me with a quizzical look on her face. I popped out my earphones and smiled back. Sensing it was ok to talk now, she asked me if I was ok? My first thought was, who is this girl to ask me that question, why would she even think to ask it. When I didn't respond, she commented that I seemed a bit lost or pre-occupied. My mind was racing. How many 19 year old kids think or talk like that? I assured her I was just seeing things differently than I had ever seen them before. I glanced down at a book she was reading. It was a book about families and relationships of some specific African American families. Most teenage girls I see are more likely to have a Style or Cosmo magazine to read on the plane. Following her lead to talk, I asked her about the book. I was somewhat taken back as she shared with me that it was about HER extended family and relatives. It was about her heritage. As she spoke, it was obvious she had read it many times. She then mentioned that she was headed back to the Southern United States to learn more about the people she came from, and who they were. I was still having a hard time believing that this beautiful 19 year old girl, who could be anywhere she wanted, was on this journey. Then came that tattoo. What I had thought was just a strange tattoo was only strange because I hadn't really looked at it. Now, I was looking. She must have seen my gaze, and slowly rolled up her sleeve to reveal what looked like a large tree, with roots tracing up the veins of her arms. As she talked, I sat stunned unable to even respond. She had gotten the tattoo of the tree to remind her of where she came from, and who she was. The roots of the tattoo that followed up the veins of her arm were to remind her of the roots of those lived before her and their lives that still ran through her today. That she is a result of who they were, and that she must carry on in her life what they stood for and dreamt of. 
I was not sure which view had given me the most understanding. The one outside the window, or the one sitting next to me on the plane. At 19 I not only didn't know who I was, or where I was going, I don't think I cared all that much. How is it that this young girl had such a deep understanding and vision? Who or what in her life had given her the focus to see what is important? Even today....in fact this very day, I am still coming to an understanding of seeing beyond myself. My view outside the window showed me that I can see so much more. My view inside the window was a realization that there are opportunities for us to not only see, but understand and do so much more that is meaningful.As a sweet sister so unmistakably reminded me, life is not about racing to get to a new horizon, or hurrying to a perceived destination. It is about the the life we live and the things we do along our way.
Thinking my short journey was reaching it's climax, I kind of lost myself in thoughts as we approached our destination in Phoenix.
After landing, my mind slowly came out of it's brief but fulfilling thoughts and I was suddenly back in the real world. Being two terminals away from my next flight, I easily slipped back into my race mode and made a focused and driven pace down the long corridors. On my way I was passing people who had easily become impediments to me reaching my destination on time. Habits are sometimes hard to break.
I arrived just in time to load, pull out my gadgets, and sink in the deep leather chairs. My mind drifting away as I prepared for the long trip to the East Coast. To my surprise, the plane was once again loaded and the announcement rang out; "Boarding Complete, prepare cabin". The seat next to me, to my astonishment was empty. Thoughts of spreading out were already in process in my mind when an elderly gentleman looked down at me and and my stuff, and informed me that the seat next to me was his......uggg. I smiled, said hello, and quickly reached for my security zone, the earphones. Swiftly popping them in I felt the comfort and reassurance I would not be bugged for the next 5 hours.
Aircraft door closes, a heavy rumble down the runway, soon weightlessness finally quiets the shaking and the clunk of the landing gear being tucked away for flight. Suddenly just the quiet rush of wind past the cabin, and slow drone of the engines. There I am, just waiting for the "ding" that announces I can pull out the computer and get some of the work done that always manages to be waiting for me.
To my private delight, the new traveling companion of mine had fallen asleep. Perfect time for me to have some non-chatting time to myself. I decided to jot down some notes of the past few hours before they were just a fuzzy memory. It didn't take long for me to wander in and out of the thoughts and meanings of what I had experienced. I was sharply brought back to the business of travel when the attendant, for the second time, had to shake my arm and ask me to choose a dinner selection. Popping out my earphones, I gave no thought to the choice, and told him I would have whatever the last option was he mentioned. My new neighbor gave me a quizzical look,then requested the other option for himself. As the attendant moved on, my elderly friend asked me if I even knew what I had ordered, all the time wearing a smug little grin. I was stuck between wanting to ignore him, and also wanting to know what was so funny from his point of view. His comment wasn't long in coming; do you even know what you ordered? I somewhat arrogantly responded, Nope! (I was not going to give him the edge in the conversation). I didn't have a clue what I had ordered because my earphones were in my ears as the attendant was talking to me, but I wasn't going to give this nosy neighbor of mine any advantage. The earphones went right back in, and I ate the airline food more out of a need to break up the boredom than from any physical want or need for food.
Our adventure across the country had made it to just east of St Louis when I reached into my bag and pulled out my Golf Magazine that had arrived at home, but hadn't had time to read it. As I thumbed through it's pages, my elderly new friend asked if I had golfed any of the top 100 courses listed in the magazines cover article. I had SEEN a couple of the courses, but golfed none of them. However I tried to act like I knew about some of them (luckily I had read about 3 or 4 of them and could speak to it). As I finished my stupid conversation and trying to appear like I was knowledgeable, my old friend gave me some insight......HE HAD HELPED WRITE THE ARTICLE. What do you say to someone who was just able to call your bluff, and yet was as patient as could be in listening to me bloviate about my stupid knowledge. He then shared with me the stories of how they chose each of the courses. There wasn't a course I mentioned that he hadn't golfed. Soon he turned the conversation to me. Where did I live, where did I regularly golf. When I mentioned Utah, he pulled out a visor from a golf course that Nicholas had designed in Utah. On the visor was an autograph to him from Johnny Miller. He offered me the visor. I was looking at him in disbelief. Who was this man? Where did he come from? Why was he offering me a gift? I thanked him, but declined his offer. We spoke of Palmer, Torino, Player, Mickelson, Tiger, and so many others. He had either played with each, or known and interviewed them each. His stories shared so much more insight than just the game of golf. The stories were not about great shots, or exciting tournament moments. His stories were about each player as a person, who they were, what made them great as a person. At some point, I had to ask him his age. I thought him to be in his early 60's, but having known Palmer, Player, and Nicholas he had to be older. 78 was what I heard, but in my mind I couldn't comprehend and I asked him to tell me again. 78 was the response a second time. His body was still fit, his mind and memory sharp. Perhaps it was my repeated comments about his age that shifted our conversation.
He pointed out that at my age, he looked a bit like me. Slightly overweight and not as active as he should be (what did he mean I was slightly overweight? should I be offended?). He almost whispered his secrets. He said, "Your from Utah, and if you stay there long enough you will learn some things about health". Really?? I replied. He told me that he had never smoked. He quit drinking alcohol after college. Didn't drink tea or coffee. Then came what he felt was the biggest benefit... he never had a need to live a life out of control. He focused on family and health. He made a point to discuss the value of getting enough sleep. Finally, he spoke of the importance of never retiring. He was impassioned as he spoke about doing something you love, and to never quit. My AhhHaa moment was about to come......
It was as if he spoke in slow motion, and my mind could hold on each word. "Take time to appreciate the moments that make up each day". He shared how regrettable it was for him to think of how many things he missed in his life while he was chasing something else he thought was so important. Turning serious, he asked me how much I travel. His eyes closed and his mouth pulled back into a pained look. Then turning and looking me directly in the eye, told me to do everything I could to not let the fast pace of life overcome what I wanted to be. All my mind could keep thinking was....who is this guy at 78? why is he sharing these things with me? Why have I now been given this message three times in one day?
As the plane landed and pulled to the gate, he shook my hand and let me know how much he enjoyed our conversation. As strange as it seemed to me, my emotions were close to showing. I quickly thanked him for the perspective and vision of life he had shared with me. His words had not just been casual conversation. He smiled as he pulled down his bag and commented that he wasn't supposed to be on that flight, but had missed his earlier flight. Our flight was sold out, except for the 1st class seat next to me, and so he took it. His final words as he started toward the door...."Funny how life goes sometimes".
For a few short minutes I remembered those solid formations who had been such a strength in guiding my my life. My memory called up thoughts of people who have touched my years so deeply, and how because of my inward focus I almost missed their guiding influence. Finally I paused for a time to remember the wise words of an old man who passed my way and from his unique vantage point could urge me to live so fully in the day and not let it pass unappreciated.
The hotel desk clerk greeted my arrival with the question.....How was your trip Mr Jensen?
2 comments:
WOW!! There really isn't much else to say, but WOW!
Really great story, and very well written. You are a story teller, Mr. J. It's in your blood!
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